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Doctors across Hinckley and Bosworth are being urged by regional NHS chiefs to think twice about prescribing antibiotics - and patients are urged not to request them.

As the winter bugs’ season hits, bosses at Leicester’s hospitals and the area’s health services commissioning group - which represents all GP practices in the borough - have joined forces in a new campaign.

The aim is to highlight the unnecessary use of antibiotics and encourage members of the public and healthcare workers to sign up to become antibiotic guardians.

Dr David Jenkins, consultant medical microbiologist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said there were very few new antibiotics in the development pipeline which is why current medicines should be used wisely.

He added: “Antibiotics are essential for treating bacterial infections in both humans and animals but they are losing their effectiveness at an increasing rate.

“Inappropriate use and prescribing of antibiotics is causing resistance. This means the antibiotic no longer works. If we don’t all act fast we could enter an era where no antibiotics work meaning trivial infections could become fatal and routine treatments which rely on the use of antibiotics, such as setting broken bones, basic operations and chemotherapy, become increasingly dangerous.”

People are reminded all colds and most coughs, sinusitis, earache and sore throats are caused by viral infections which do not respond to antibiotics.